To reach Buenos Aires we had to take the Ruta 3, a road renowned for having absolutely nothing of interest along it. Because of this, many people churn up the kilometres and complete the journey in three days. We, as usual, took more time to travel the 2,550 kilometres north from Rio Gallegos.

The Ruta 3 is the east coast’s only highway. It generally features a single lane in each direction, often without a shoulder or overtaking lanes. Traffic is dominated by trucks and tankers that made our CB250s feel very small. Each oncoming vehicle would pound us with a strong gust of wind and leave us wobbling in its wake. We quickly learnt to gauge the level of impact by sizing up the shape of the oncoming truck and braced ourselves accordingly. Large sections of the road were being repaired and the deep grooves cut into the surface were a curse for our motorbike wheels. Of course, there was also the Patagonian wind to contend with. It made for mentally and physically tiring travel. Thankfully our ipods kept us rolling on – thanks again everyone for our playlist. J

Our stops were dictated by the sparsely located service stations. Although some were pretty basic, they provided coffee and clean toilets. The latter were particularly welcome after 200 kilometre stretches devoid of any vegetation to hide behind for a roadside comfort stop! During these breaks, our small bikes drew a lot of attention and provided a great opportunity to meet people, both foreign and local travellers; bikers and non-bikers. They were always friendly, curious, incredulous and encouraging.

The road became more interesting as we approached Buenos Aires Province. Bare plains turned into pastures; dull towns became lively centres and instant coffee turned into cappuccinos.

Our final stop before Buenos Aires was the highlight: staying at La Posta del Viajero en Moto in Azul where Jorge, his family and around 30 very cute rabbits warmly host overland motorbike travellers. The clubhouse walls were covered with messages from previous guests. It was thrilling to see some from people who have inspired us and given advice for our trip.

We were also warmly welcomed by the local fruit and vegetable shopkeeper, also named Jorge, who invited us in to share some mate (the national herbal brew) and cleared the floor of his tiny shop for an impromptu tango lesson.

On the final day, we successfully negotiated the network of motorways, tollways and interchanges to arrive in San Telmo, Buenos Aries, our home for the next fortnight.

More photos of the Ruta 3 are here.